Dublin commuters face price rises of more than 10%

Commuters in Dublin will have to pay higher bus and rail fares next year following National Transport Authority approval for increases of up to 10.3 per cent.

While confirmation of the price rises has so far been confined to monthly and annual tickets sold by Dublin Bus, Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann, all commuter services in the capital to be similarly affected.

The price rise will add more than €200 to the annual cost of commuting in some cases.

The increases are another consequence of the budget, with the three companies saying that they were unavoidable because of a cut of more than €18 million in the Government’s subsidy to loss-making public transport services.

The transport companies said increased fuel costs were also partially to blame.

A monthly "short hop" ticket covering rail, Dart, Dublin Bus and Luas services currently costs €198 and will climb to just under €220 a month.

An annual ticket for “short hop” Dart and rail services currently costs €1,220. The approved price increase of just over 10 per cent will take the total cost up to €1,340.

The monthly Iarnród Éireann ticket will go up to €134 from €122, an increase over 12 months of €144.

Dublin Bus has been granted price increases ranging from 9.3 per cent to 10.27 per cent for its monthly and annual commuter tickets, which would add more than €100 to the annual cost of commuting.